I raised 3 kids. Now I'm 61 and starting over with 2 grandsons who need me.

Kathy Davidson is raising her two grandchildren.

Courtesy of Kathy Davidson Kathy Davidson, 61, is raising her two grandsons, ages 8 and 11, in North Carolina.

She receives $997 a month in disability benefits, while her husband works as an electrician.

She works hard to give both grandchildren a stable, loving home despite financial strain.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kathy Davidson, 61, who has raised two of her grandsons in North Carolina since they were born.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I raised three children, two girls and a boy.

My son and older daughter have been doing well and are working hard.

I left my ex, and then I met the man I'm married to now.

We've been married for 26 years.

I worked in construction and hotel housekeeping .

You name it, I've done it.

I used to work with my uncle laying bricks and painting houses.

I hurt my back and shoulder at work one day in 2015, and now I'm on disability.